


Whatever It Takes

by FourWings



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Another Dream SMP fanfiction, Arson, Betrayal, Blood and Injury, But now its by a Smut Writer, Crying, Everybody is a bit of a Psycho, Hurt/Comfort, I'll be adding tags as I go, M/M, Other, Schlatt Reference, Teenagers are dumb, Tension, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:46:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FourWings/pseuds/FourWings
Summary: Dream remembers being young, remembers how hard he struggled every day to survive before meeting George and the rest of them. He never wanted to be weak again, he would become strong enough to protect his new family from any threat. With newcomers threatening his family and friends, he was ready to whatever it took to protect them, but this time the cost might be too high to pay.Something had happened to George and the signs pointed to L’manburg, a place Dream could already see burning and going up in smoke as he finally crossed into their home village, the brunet in his arms already unconscious from the damage that had been done.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Punz & Clay | Dream, Punz & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Punz & Sapnap
Comments: 10
Kudos: 142





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first chapter work on this site and I'm excited to share it with you. This is most likely going to be the shortest chapter for the story, and its mostly an introduction to everybody on the SMP side as well as a glimpse into how some things in the world works. Hope you enjoy, I'll see y'all at the bottom!

Dull green eyes scanned the forest in front of him, hissing as his eyes stung from straining them. “Ouch.” Dream hissed softly, reaching up to wipe at his eyes, hoping the action would bring some moisture to them. It had been 2 days since he’s run out of water in the large roofed forest he’d found himself in, every pond a taunting reminder that would make him recall his mother reminding him that all the water in those forests were tainted. They helped what were normally small mushrooms grow to the size of trees, their centers lined with a poison that would kill if you ate it, but always leached into the ground and fouled the water beyond being drinkable. 

The small blond trudged past the tree he had been leaning on, giving up on trying to make his eyes better and settling for simply looking through the forest with blurry vision, hoping his ears would save him if any mobs came out. Normally it was safe during the day, but some monsters came out in these biomes due to the ample shade. He might be young, but his mother had trained him well, taught him the importance of survival before she died. He grit his teeth at that, fat tears, precious water, welling up in dry green eyes before he hissed as his knee ached, still feeling sore from the fall he had taken as he scrambled away from zombies the night before.

Slowly, the young boy saw the biome’s beginning to change. First, the mushrooms started to become less and less common, until finally all that was left were dark oak trees. They filled the space in the forest, growing so close that many became intertwined with another. It would be pretty and poetic if the branches weren’t so gnarled and whittled down by time, becoming intimidating to the young boy who was growing weaker from dehydration. Finally he found himself in a spruce forest, although Dream couldn’t exactly point out when it had happened. When he noticed the change, he turned around in a daze, licking chapped laps with a look of discomfort, but only seeing spruce trees around him, not a hint of darker, richer wood in sight.  _ I’m so dizzy _ . The blond thought, only having the presence of mind to crouch behind his shield, small but old and torn, to catch his breath. 

The universe did not feel like being kind to the young blond as moments later the telltale sound of an arrow whistled through the air and landed in the tree above his head. All the blood in his body froze, Dream peaking around the edge of his shield and flinching back at the sight of the skeleton before him, eyes and nose hollow with a mouth full of half rotten teeth against unnaturally pristine bones twisted into a permanent stern smile.  _ Move move movemovemove! _

The blond whirled around the tree, yelping as his knee protested from the sudden movement, taking a quick look up into the sky and noticing the light was starting to fade away.  _ Crap! _ He needed to pick a direction and run quickly, it was less dangerous to shelter in a cave than it was to stay out on the surface, but first he had to get away from the skeleton. His body was shaking as another arrow zipped past the tree where his head had been a moment ago, so close to dying he could hardly take a deep breath with how sore his chest felt. With a terrified shout, Dream ran to the left, hoping the thicker forest growth there would at least give him better cover as he ran. It almost worked as he came up a small hill, shrieking as the arrow the dead man released skimmed along the skin of his hand, splitting it pinky to thumb and red blood bubbling forward. Adrenaline and the desire to survive pumped through his veins, allowing him just enough energy to push himself over what seemed to be a man made hill. It would have been too steep to climb if he were a mindless mob, it was barely good enough for him to find purchase on, but he found it. His chest was screaming in protest as he shoved his thin and wiry hands on rocks and dirt steps, pushing himself up even as the sound of a bow creaking while it was drawn back made him shake, finally pushing himself over the top and a few inches of safety as the arrow thudded into the dirt wall where he had been seconds before. 

He panted for a moment, hardly able to catch his breath as he listened to the skeleton’s bones rattle at the bottom of the hill, a few more arrows being shot uselessly into the steep mound of dirt before he finally relaxed, staring up into a violet-orange sky. Dream couldn’t seem to catch his breath, his mouth and eyes were so dry it hurt more than the cut he could clearly feel now, or the ache in his knee from running and climbing. Everything hurt, but he survived.Somehow he always did manage to get himself out of trouble. 

A sob ripped its way out of a heaving chest, the blond bringing one arm to rub at his eyes as the sound, painful and lonely, forced its way out again, the noise so harsh it strained at his throat. Trembles wracked at his thin frame, unsurprisingly yet still dangerously thin for a boy his age, all telling a story of barely surviving, small scars littered up the boy’s ribs, some only half healed and others jagged as if they had been treated by somebody who hadn’t known what they were doing. Green eyes squeezed shut, trying to not cry even as he sobbed, only barely surviving again, another near death experience marring his skin and mental health, terror still in every muscle as he willed himself to move. “I need- _hic_ \- to move.” He whimpered, rolling over onto his elbows and knees as he stifled a sob, the effort tremendous and only doing so much as the violent emotion caused the pain in his chest to flare.  _ I can’t stand. _ Another sob, fist driving into the ground in frustration, fingertips digging into the ground so hard it hurt, the dust scattering and settling into the fresh cut that made it sting and another sob pour out. 

“Who are you.” A sudden voice asked, Dream jumping out of his skin while he barely was able to tilt his head up, meeting another young boy across from him, leaning behind a tree hesitantly.  _ A person? _ The thought was full of equal amounts for relief and concern even as his chest heaved and eyes leaked a few more tears, face red enough to hide his freckles as he forced himself to stop sobbing. Black eyes narrowed at him, clearly disapproving of him, although whether it was from the lack of an answer or the pathetic state of him was unclear. “Do you even know how to talk?” The other’s voice was higher than his, only slightly, he even looked younger, but was stockier and taller than him.  _ Well fed. _ The thought was definitely bitter as the blond made a face, trying to push himself up only for his arms to shake in protest, the sting on his palm helping to focus as his chest stopped heaving enough to take a steady breath in to speak. 

“Dream.” He croaked, wincing at the roughness of his voice and the pain he felt speaking. A sympathetic expression briefly crossed the other boy’s face before being quickly replaced by uncertain indifference. 

“What kind of a name is that?” His voice wasn’t entirely mean, in fact it almost bordered on a playful tone.

Dream blinked, unable to help the tired smile he gave, finally pushing himself back to balance on his knees even as it protested. “Mine. What's yours?” He asked, trying to not look as tired and drained as he felt. The glimmer of hope he held was stamped out as the other boy’s expression turned hard, looking behind him towards the tree line suspiciously. 

“Doesn’t matter. You need to leave.” he said hurriedly, black eyes returning to his as his breath caught on a particularly sharp inhale, ribs aching again in something that wasn’t entirely physical. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He tried, the words more winded that he wanted.  _ Please don’t make me leave, I don't want to be alone. _

“You’re going to bring other things that will hurt us.” The taller boy answered, taking a step back even as his face showed regret. “You have to go, or els-”

“Sapnap?” A slightly deeper, voice called from behind the raven haired boy, the previously indifferent expression quickly turning into worry and concern, black eyes flicking away from him to turn around. “Did you find what was making those sounds?”

A shape, taller than either of the two boys by several inches, slowly came into view as the last hints of orange began to fade away, the sky turning a dark black. There was just enough light left in the sky to see the new person was a boy, and while he was taller he was also lanky, as if he hadn’t quite yet grown into himself yet, with brown hair and large goggles that were too large for his face, but easily covered the older’s eyes. It made his expression impossible to read when his gaze shifted to Dream who was still kneeling on the ground with dirty blond hair plastered to his forehead. 

“Just this guy.” Sapnap said indifferently, voice gruff as he pointedly looked away from the new person to stare back at Dream, black eyes unreadable at this distance and in the fading light. Still, his posture was tense and it was enough to keep Dream from relaxing.

The taller boy hummed thoughtfully, as if he couldn’t have guessed the moment he was close enough to see the clearing. He turned, looking back at the shorter raven haired boy with a disapproving look, most of the expression hidden by the goggles. “Why didn’t you call us over?” He asked, hand subconsciously making its way to his side, just behind the weapon in its sheath. Dream’s eyes followed the movement and froze on the weapon, a stone sword that was within reach of the taller’s fingers, fear gripping his heart and making already sore and tired muscles clench in pain, ready to run, even if he couldn’t actually follow through on the instinct.  _ Crap what if he was telling me to leave so his friend didn’t kill me? _ The thought was frantic and he tried to stand, but his legs didn’t want to listen, simply shaking as Sapnap scoffed, the sound low and dismissive. 

“He’s just a kid, why would I need you guys.” There was a pause where Dream’s shaky breathing the only sound in the clearing. “Where’s Punz anyways?” 

“I’m right here, idiot.” Another new voice, already deeper than the black haired boy but not yet as deep as the brunet said from Dream’s left, hardly having the energy to turn and see another boy who was even taller than George, with dusky blond hair that seemed closer to a mousey brown color if not for the hints of yellow that were easy to see even in the dark light. This boy carried a stone axe in hand, still threatening even if the other’s stance was relaxed and unbothered by the bleeding and exhausted dirty blond that had remained silent so far. “You know you’re a kid too, right?” Punz taunted with a sarcastic grin, only laughing as Sapnap stood up straighter in anger, the brunet ignoring the exchange and taking several steps towards Dream. 

“What’s your name?” The brunet asked, stooping down to ground in front of him, expression aggravatingly passive and all too hidden for Dream to even begin to guess what the other’s intentions were. 

“Dream.” He said with another wince, mouth far too dry to want to speak even as the taste of iron filled it, distantly wondering if he bit his tongue in his hurry up the hill earlier. Fingers, thin and firm and fucking  _ warm _ caught his chin sternly, the glare off the goggles the only thing he could see on the other’s face. Still, he curled his lip in apparent aggravation, trying to wrench his face away only for his vision to spin at the fast action, clearly protesting in a way that would force further stillness. Still, the brunet let his chin go and he gave a weak grin, the dizziness almost worth it for not having to be held in place by some stranger that might just kill him, his defiance the last thing he had left right now.

“Sapnap, you are a terrible liar.” The brunet finally said, Dream then noticing the boy had an odd accent. “Why were you going to leave him here?”

Sapnap’s expression turned guiltier as Punz raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the other, finally putting his axe away slowly, figuring he had no need for it if George wasn’t threatened. “Don’t you hear the skeleton over there?” He asked, clearly unhappy with the accusation. “What if he brings more of them in? Nobody’s ever come back since then and we-” He cut off with a hiss, black eyes filled with more uncertainty and conflict than before flicking back to meet tired green eyes again. “We can’t afford to be fighting more than we already are George.” The words were hardly a protest, the tough act the other young boy had been putting up finally falling away meekly under the stern gaze of the teen boy.

The brunet, George, sighed, shaking his head without any hints of frustration. “Sapnap, he’s half starved and hurt. If we don’t take him with us, Dream here will die and probably turn into something we’re going to have to fight sooner or later considering how close he is to our village.”  _ They aren’t going to kill me? _ Relief filled his body even as it ached. Brown eyes hidden blissfully behind black goggles stared hard at the blond, noticing all the scrapes that marred what should have been the smooth skin of a child, passing over the cut hand and glazed eyes before sighing in resignation, a decision made. “Punz, can you and Sap handle the skeleton in the ditch? I’m gonna take him back to the village and cleric.” 

“Don’t touch me.” Dream hissed as hands, without asking, reached out to grab him, a blank expression his only response to his outburst. “I can get up.”

“We’ll take care of it, shout if you need help.” Punz called, answering for Sapnap as he simply turned around towards the ditch Dream had crawled up from, right hand on his axe while the raven made a frustrated noise, pulling a shield off his back to help Punz. Once the pair made it over the hill, George pulled his goggles up, giving the shorter boy a hard look with firm brown eyes that were surprisingly caring. 

“What happened to getting up?” He asked after a few moments where neither moved, a wisp of a smile at the corner of his mouth as Dream sneered, trying to push himself up on shaky legs. He nearly stood up until he tried to move his other knee, the muscles giving out and he tumbled back to the ground, breathing hard again as pain wracked his small frame. “C’mon, the last thing we need is to spend hours getting back as you try to walk.” George said in exasperation, reaching out to pick him up again. 

“Stop trying to pick me up!” Dream complained, even as the other moved to pick him up, writhing out of his grip, weariness in each motion but still enough to make it too difficult for the other boy to pick him up.

“How do you plan on getting back then?” George finally asked, a flash of frustration crossing his eyes as his nose crinkled in dissatisfaction from the blonde and his stubbornness. 

“Let me hop on your back.” Dream said roughly, throat blazing in pain as green eyes stared into brown eyes, still dizzy but resolute. He knew he didn’t have enough coordination to walk, but he refused to be carried in like some invalid- even if he technically was at the moment. 

“You’ll have to leave your shield here then, I’m not carrying you and that heavy thing at the same time.” George answered back, crossing his arms as he waited for the answer, expecting the other to disagree if the worn down shield’s usage actually indicated the blond’s attachment to it. A moment later loud whoops of delight echoed through the trees before a sharp curse word followed. The brunet snickered, clearly used to such antics from the other pair, the action was fond and it made Dream ache, missing when he had friends to do that with at his old home, his old life.  _ That’s gone now… but they are here, and they can take me in _ . He nodded soundlessly, not trusting his throat to not hurt the next time he spoke from both usage and from letting the past go, something he couldn't return to anymore and embracing something new. 

“Fine, let me help you stand up so you can get on.” Dream’s nose scrunched at that, but meekly held his hands out and allowed the other’s hands, warm and calloused even at George’s young age, to pull him onto shaking legs. Dream cringed, unable to help but feel like a newborn deer when they first learned to stand from how hard he was shaking. His head spun, the exhaustion and dehydration choosing the opportune time to remind him of his state by nearly bringing him down again the moment he stood.

Dream wishes he could have said he was coordinated about climbing onto the other’s back, but he mostly fell onto the other’s back, barely avoiding scratching the taller boy’s face with his fingers as he threw them over his shoulders, broader than his and already forming with muscles from practice.  _ He must fight pretty often. _ Dream thought hazily, stringing thoughts together was getting harder as the adrenaline ran off and left shaking limbs in their stead. 

George huffed at the dead weight that rapidly fell on his back, reaching around to shift the boy towards the center of his back while standing quickly and moving those hands to Dream’s legs, wrapping them around his waist.  _ He’s gonna be tall one day. _ George thought as the others' ankles easily crossed each other despite how short the younger boy was. “How old are you, Dream?” He asked, voice slightly strained from the extra weight, but not as much as he had expected. The blond was scarily thin, And while the brunet was curious about the short and frail boy’s life, he would save his questions for later. A few steps passed before the pair came back up the hill, excitement palpable in their eyes as they waved a bow, the wood slightly cracked and looking like it would break any moment, but still a rare find since most mobs and their items evaporated away upon death. 

“Nice job getting it.” George praised them as Dream rested his head on the taller boy's shoulders, the upright position making it easier to breath with what he, now, assumed were bruised ribs. Sapnap ran over quickly, snatching the bow away while Punz took a lazy pace as they all rejoined. Sapnap was babbling quickly to the older boy about how he and Punz took the skeleton down, looking for the older approval while they all took a slow paced walk into the right side of the forest, in the direction Dream had been going when he had first climbed over the steep hill.

“I’m 12.” Dream finally answered, long enough passing he wondered if it was worth sharing the information, or if the brunet would remember his question. He winced right after as his throat quickl reminded him about the damage he had made from the sobbing earlier and how dry it was from no water for days. His vision spun, tiredness in every muscle and ounce of flesh he had, which wasn’t much, but still overwhelming.

“Wait, what? How are you older than me?” Sapnap complained from his left, not that Dream bothered to look. He did smile gently, assuming the tanned boy was smiling playfully. 

“I was born earlier, duh.” He said back tiredly, the smile on chapped lips growing larger as the other three laughed, a warmth that he had missed for so long filling his strained chest, holding it as long as he could before letting it out in a gentle exhale, the air just as warm in the cold, still air around them. Dream was beyond content to listen to the trio speak and chatter as they strolled through the thick spruce forest, thin beams of moonlight filtering through the branches and barely lighting their path, his eyes sliding closed a few times as they moved. 

“Dream, look.” Punz said, touching his shoulder to invigorate him. Tired green eyes slid open, blinking blearily several times before he could finally see the sight before him, breath catching in his throat. The first thing he saw from the top of the hill was a large lake, larger than any he had ever seen before, even at his old village. It was impossible to determine its depth from here, especially at night, but it was still and clearly reflected the large bright moon in the sky, the effect so luminous it almost felt like there were 2 moons in the sky. On the right side of the lake the Spruce forest continued, wrapping around and stopping short of the bank by several feet before tapering into what seemed like a birch and oak forest that would only go around a third of the lake before turning into soft rolling hills that were impossible to see the end of, stretching for miles until the earth finally curved, hiding its final end point. To the right, in the spruce forest near the space where it changed tree type, a collection of lights could be seen peeking through the undergrowth, and Dream could already imagine what it was.  _ I bet it's warm there. _

Wow.” He said softly and simply, the gentle tone preventing his throat from flaring again. Unsurprisingly, they all turned to the right, going down a shallow slope that met seamlessly with flat earth in the forest, the view vanishing and being swallowed by rich earthy tones of the trees around them. It almost felt magical, but Dream chalked it up to being practically delirious from the exhaustion in every breath and thought, simply closing his eyes again and focusing on breathing carefully. 

He felt George chuckle quietly at his response, even as Sapnap and Punz bickered about how mild the reaction had been compared to their own. “I said the same thing when I first saw this place and how beautiful it was.” George admitted quietly, not bothering to chastise the pair as they finally met a shoddy path that had been made into the forest, lined with torches to keep mobs away and allowing them all more freedom to be more expressive in the safety of the light. “It’s our home.” He then paused, realizing the smaller boy had practically fallen asleep on his back, amused by how stubborn Dream had been earlier only to now fall asleep on him. 

“Welcome home, then, Dream.” He whispered softly, feeling the shorter smile into his shoulder as they finally strolled into the village they all could now call home.  



	2. A Motley Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally meet the other group, but they aren't looking so great. Could be worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know Fundy is Wilbur's 'son' in the SMP, but here, hes Wil's younger brother because it makes more sense narrative wise. Letting you all know.

Brown eyes scanned the horizon, squinting as the glare from the sun bore down unrelentingly, the shimmer if caused off the sand disorienting normally and only made worse from dehydration. “Wil, Wil do you see him?” A young and gruff voice asked from his right, tired but hopeful. Wilbur finally drew his eyes away from the never ending dunes of sand to meet sky blue eyes framed by hair as light as the sand itself, expression tired but hopeful. He wanted to say yes, offer a reassuring smile to the younger boy, assuage the worry that was surely there, but his lips only pressed into a flat line while he shook his head slowly, the action alone disorienting. 

“Not yet Tubbo, I’m sure Fundy will be back soon.” He tried to sooth, voice dry and deep from the warm wind that had been whipped into his face. Before Tubbo could respond, a harsher but equally young voice sounded from behind the sandstone wall Wilbur had been resting behind. 

“I told you Tubbo, it's not like we wouldn’t have seen him too.” Tommy chimed in, vibrant blue eyes locking onto Wilbur's, a discouraged smile touching the edge of chapped lips. “C’mon, let's go see if we can find some more water at the bottom of the well.”

Wilbur stepped forward at that, stomach and vision spinning so much he had to place a hand on the sandstone wall to stay upright, the action not being missed by two pairs of blue eyes. “Wilbur?”

“Just be careful.” He finally ground out, reaching up to push shaggy brown hair out of his face, ever small action strenuous. “Don’t get any dirt or sand in the water, it's all we have until we find a new place to stay.” He didn’t bother to stick around long enough for the pair to fret over him, gritting his teeth at how far his vision was spinning while hating that he had letting it show while in front of the two youngest people in their group.  _ I don’t need them to worry about me. _ Wilbur thought, turning around the corner and promptly sitting on the closest stoop, exhaling into the hot air that blew over him, flakes of sand digging into the parts of his skin that were exposed. Moments after he had sat down and covered his face to will the dizziness away he heard footsteps come from the direction he had left, slow and unbothered. Wilbur didn’t have the patience for Tommy’s persistent questions or Tubbo's earnest concern, the headache pressing at his skull too firmly to tolerate either at the moment. “Go away, I need a minute.” He tried to keep his voice firm as the footsteps stopped to his left. 

“When was the last time you even drank anything Wilbur?” A deeper voice, not deeper than his but certainly not the teenagers of the group, asked, an almost sarcastic tone to it. Wilbur exhaled in annoyance, sparing a single glance to the brunet who was staring down on him with a smile that bordered on concern. 

“Doesn’t matter, what is it Schlatt?” He grumbled, coughing slightly as the words left, wiping his mouth clumsily. 

“I’m just here to make sure our illustrious leader is, ahem, doing alright.” The slightly shorter boy responded, shuffling to sit next to Wilbur on the small stoop, not bothering to ask for permission that would have been denied even as Wilbur smiled slightly. “Clearly, you are doing great.” 

“Shut up.” He offered, coughing again and wincing into his hand as the action made sharper spikes of pain press to his brain, aggravating the headache further. A glass bottle was shoved into his hands, Wilbur already knowing what it was without truly looking up at it. 

“Fine, but you gotta drink that.” Schlatt insisted, a sarcastic smile on his face, an early indicator that he wouldn’t actually uphold his end of the bargain. Still, the offer was too good to resist and Wilbur uncorked the bottle, pressing the rim of the glass to his lips. He let out a soft hum as water finally made its way down his throat, somehow already feeling better as he moved the bottle away after drinking half of it, simply holding it by the neck in his hands while breathing slowly. “You seriously are a piece of work aren’t you Wilbur?”

He flicked his gaze up to meet speculative brown eyes that bordered on black. “What do you mean.” He already knew exactly what Schlatt meant, not that he was ashamed of it by any means. 

“You still have to eat and drink like the rest of us Wil, you’re going to just worry Tommy and Tubbo with these fainting spells if you don’t.” His friend offered, tone losing the edge he nearly always had to adopt a more serious tenor. 

“Not you?” Wilbur asked, a strained smile on his lips before finishing the rest of the water in his hand, licking his lips as the last few drops made their way down, missing the taste already. 

“Nah, I’ll live like always.” The dismissive playful tone returned as the other male held his hand out for the glass bottle, shoving it in his pack. “Seriously, Wilbur, there's enough water for a week. Bread’s running low, but you’ll last longer without food than water.”

“But Tubbo-”

“And they will understand. They aren’t children, they’re teens. They can handle being a bit thirsty and hungry too.” Schaltt said quickly, standing up in just as hurried movements. “If you’re so worried, we can trade off days on who eats, but I’m eating tonight so you’ll have to wait another day.” He offered a tooth grin that made Wilbur shake his head, the action still less than pleasant but his vision didn’t spin this time. 

“Fine, I’ll eat. Where’s Eret been?” He had yet to see the brunet that day, not even for breakfast that morning.

“Still trying to dig that one house out, he swears there's a chest in there, not that it would do us much good.” Schlatt elaborated, watching unimpressed as Wilbur stood up while smoothing his messy hair away from his face. 

“I’ll go check on him, he probably needs to eat too.” Wilbur said, stretching in the hot sun, the heat making the sands just beyond the abandoned village shimmer. “What are you heading off to do?” 

Schlatt offered him a tooth grin while walking away. “I’ll go distract Tommy and Tubbo I guess. Tommy thinks I’m good at fighting for some reason-” Wilbur snorted heavily at that, not that he was that much better. “But I might as well teach the kid how to hold a shield.” 

“Just don’t let them break it, Fundy’s supposed to fix it and try to make another one when he gets back.” The air turned somber as another gust of wind buffeted into the eroding buildings, each grain chipping away slightly at the abandoned and walls that had gone without maintenance for longer than any of the boys had been alive. There was a glint in dark brown eyes, suspicion and begging to ask a question Wilbur couldn’t exactly find an answer for, not one he meant. 

“You got it. Remind Eret to eat, I’m not going to remind you or him again.” The dark brunet finally said, turning around with an air of finality, Wilbur relaxing as the question wasn’t asked. 

“Sure, have fun.” He said just as amicably, standing for just a moment longer, letting the water work its way through him a moment longer before walking towards the edges of the village where most the houses had begun crumbled, the sands having destroyed the foundations until they fell apart, and others half buried in sand. 

The village was large, larger than the group had found before, but with the amount of half buried structures that were underground near the edges of town, everybody assumed the original village may have been a city once, even if all the inhabitants were so long gone not even skeletal remains were left when they stumbled in a month ago. Brown eyes scanned lazily over the buildings, noticing how the buildings were slowly shifting into further stages of disrepair the closer he got to the edge of the village. The sand was harsh and the sun harsher, it was no surprise that it was abandoned for now, except there was still water in the town’s center well, but it didn’t seem to refill. It struck Wilbur as odd, but he wasn’t familiar enough with water magics to truly understand why. None of them really knew magic well, other than it existed, and thus didn’t bother with it, survival more on their minds than anything else. 

Wilbur blinked as a spray of sand landed on his shoes, some getting inside and his face scrunching in immediate discomfort. Only then did he realize where the sand had come from, peering down and seeing a familiar mess of medium brown hair, the curls dark and tangled from a mess of sweat. “Eret.” He called simply, leaning in the shade of the building as the other jumped, looking around before finally landing on Wilbur, offering a weak grin and leaning against the wall of the hold he had carved out, breathing hard. 

“Hey Wil, is Fundy back?” The question made Wilbur wince this time, a clear answer as the younger’s smile grew even smaller, only the corners tipped up. “Guess not. Whats up?” Wilbur noted the other’s voice was gravelly, wondering if Eret had even bothered to drink water too.  _ I have no room to judge. _

“I didn’t see you for breakfast.” He started simply, only mildly annoyed by the dark glasses the younger boy was always wearing prevented him from truly reading the other’s expression, only the upturn of his lips that would be exceptionally easy to misinterpret. Still, trying to convince the younger to remove the glasses would be more trouble than it was worth, as he had learned when the boy joined their motley crew several months ago, before they had gotten lost in this seemingly endless desert. “Wanna come join me for some water and lunch?”

There was a pause before Eret hummed thoughtfully, setting the shovel he had been using down and climbing carefully out of the fragile opening. “Sure, as long as you’re actually eating again.” He said with a playful tilt, almost mocking, not that Wilbur could tell from the shades that hid true emotion. Still, Wilbur smiled with ease and offered the other brunet a hand, lifting him out of the pit. 

“Was it that obvious?” He asked curiously as they started making their way back towards the center of the town where they had been keeping their food. 

“Not to Tommy, maybe Tubbo noticed but I doubt it.” Eret replied just as easily, reaching up to card a hand through sweat filled locks of hair. “They aren’t paying attention close enough yet, they're just-” a pause. “Well, not kids but teenagers I guess. I doubt they are looking out for things like that.” 

Wilbur hummed, wincing at the harsh sun that was starting to pull his headache back to the forefront of his attention. “At Least they didn’t notice. Although Tommy could afford to.” 

“Tommy could afford to be a lot of things, couldn’t he.” Eret said with amusement thick in his tone, adjusting the glasses on his face slightly when they turned again, arriving in the center of the village. “Where are they?”

“Schlatt is teaching Tommy how to use a shield, last I heard.” 

“He does realize Schlatt is probably the worst at fighting, right?” Eret asked, making Wilbur give a throaty laugh that hurt. 

‘“The gremlin doesn’t realize at all, that's why he keep bothering him.” Wilbru responded, chucking Eret a slab of bread and taking one himself, and a single glass bottle of water for them to share. “Hopefully you don’t mind?” 

“Not at all, I haven’t had anything to drink all day.” Was the easy going response, an outstretched hand caked in dry sand and clay reached out, taking the neck of the bottle. “Thanks.”

Wilbur had hardly taken a bite of bread that was well on its way to becoming stale when he heard a loud yell from around the building, the pitch somewhere between elated and fearful. Still, in a moment the pair dropped the bread they were eating, simultaneously reaching for the two swords they managed to recover from the village, both made of stone and having seen better days, leaving the gold one in the chest. Wilbur was the one to race first towards the sounds of yelling that had cut off, Eret fast on his heels as the sound of footsteps came running back towards them, softer and lighter than anticipated. 

They had just rounded the corner of a dilapidated building when a blond flash slammed into Wilbur, knocking him clean over and grazing his head on stray pieces of sandstone rocks, hissing at the impact. “Wilbur!” Tubbo exclaimed, pulling off extremely quickly even as his sky blue eyes glimmered in excitement. “Fundy’s back!” The pain in Wilbur’s head dropped as he stood up quickly, leaving the stone sword in the sand as Tommy also rounded the corner with Schlatt, a familiar figure braced between them. 

Wilbur never considered himself emotional or cold. Very monotone, if a bit sarcastic and mean at times, but otherwise indifferent. However, seeing familiar auburn hair that glowed slightly more orange in the light of the desert nearly brought tears to his eyes, legs racing forward and barrelling into the significantly shorter boy, wrapping his arms around as Fundy gave a groan, fond but annoyed. “Get off me.” The shorter boy protested as Wilbur pulled him closer with a sigh, smiling still as Schlatt snorted, neither noticing Tommy or Tubbo near the wall where Wilbur was initially knocked over. 

“Missed you too, little bro.” He said gently, thin and shaky hands hugging back before pushing Wilbur back enough for the two to meet eyes, honey colored eyes staring at him in excitement. 

“Wilbur, there’s a forest only 3 days away, we can leave.” 

* * *

“Let me go with you, at least.” Tommy tried to protest, a large bag still hanging from his shoulders before he let it hit the dirt,  _ dirt _ , with a heavy sigh. Wilbur stared at the young teen, carefully assessing him as the sun started to rise in the distance, the world a mixture of dark purples and soft pinks, noting how hard the younger was breathing and the shaking in his knees Tommy probably didn’t even realize. Before Wilbur could offer disapproval, Tubbo collapsed on the pack behind him with a tired sigh, soft pants coming out as his hands shook, immediately drawing the attention of the surprisingly younger boy. 

He knew they had to be exhausted from the journey, most of everybody's faces were red as they all sat in the shade of the trees. Hell, even Wilbur's legs were shaking slightly as he leaned against a tree while shoving a glass bottle into the thin pack he was taking with him. With a soft sigh that showed just how tired he was, he stood back up straight after fixing his hair once again.

“Tommy, I can’t let you come with me.” Wilbur said, unsurprised by the scathing and argumentative look in light blue eyes that he got in response, eyebrows furrowing. “I’m going to see if there's a better place to stay than here, but you guys should all look for drinking water and food while I’m gone.”

“How are you going to get back? How long will you be gone?” A slightly higher pitched voice asked, Wilbur’s attention sliding to familiar honey eyes partially covered by an unkempt fringe of auburn hair that the morning light tinged a cotton candy color at the ends. “How long are we supposed to wait for you?”

Wilbur’s lips twitched at that, his brother never really did change from the sly attitude that, combined with the auburn hair, reminded the older of a fox. “Give me a week, I’ll see if there is a good place to build an actual home. If you guys stay around here, I can find the desert again and walk along the edge to find you guys.” He said, peeking past the trees where the desert’s large dunes raised up along the border of the birch forest, the grains sometimes peeking through but mostly getting lost by distance. “If I’m not back in a week, pick a different direction and go together.”

“Are you taking a weapon?” Eret asked from the tree he had sat down at, the gnarled roots peaking above the surface to make a slightly elevated sitting perch. The dark glasses stayed in place, a glimmer barely noticeable behind the black surface that was gone just as quickly when the other dark brunet moved his back to rest against the trunk.

“Will you guys be fine with only one sword?” Wilbur asked with a curious look. He hadn’t expected to take a weapon, somehow the stone sword had gotten lost when Fundy came back, the amount of digging through the sand for several minutes after but the item had vanished, like most damaged weapons did in their world. So they only had 1 stone sword and a golden sword that was in even worse shape than the stone sword had been. 

“Probably.” Came the non-reassuring answer from Schlatt, pushing himself off the tree. “But we also have a shield that we can use too, you should take the golden sword.” 

“Bu-” He paused, breathing out with a soft smile, pilfering through the bag for the sword briefly, tucking it into his waistband. “Fine, I need it anyways.” Wilbur said with a strained smile, tucking another piece of bread into his bag. “I’ll be back in a week, don't go too far.”  _ Unless you want to lose me. _

* * *

Green eyes glowed from the tree branch, limbs stiffening as he heard tired footsteps walk slowly through the forest, a grin forming under a white clay mask as he waited patiently in the high branches. “Can’t believe they left me to get all this on my own.” A familiar accented voice muttered from below him, a dim orange glow visible across a mostly dark but beaten path. His muscles tensed, quietly slipping down a few branches until he was near the bottom rung. “The stupid house better be done.”

Dream nearly snorted, his hands readjusting the mask on his face briefly as brown hair became visible in the night, lit by a soft orange glow from the torch, familiar goggles reflecting the light as George made his way closer to the blond. When the brunet was only seconds away from passing the tree, Dream grinned to himself and dropped down out the tree soundlessly, the only indication of movement was the rush of air around him. In an instant George turned around, hand on the hilt of an iron sword as his line pressed into a thin line, one foot set in the ground while the other one lifted from his pivot. Dream smirked beneath the mask, throwing a glass bottom at the ground and water splashed up, catching the brunet off guard as the masked man hid behind a prepared shield with a giddy laugh that rang through the night. 

“You are such a child.” The brunet complained as the other popped up behind the shield, tufts of blond hair peeking out above the white mask he wore, 2 small holes drilled out for his eyes and painted over with black and a crude smiley face giving expression to it. “You all have me go mining and then I come back to get soaked?” 

Dream snickered, quickly tossing his shield on his back to free up his hands as he took a few steps towards the still irate brunet, offering a hand out. Over the years Dream, who had been so short, grew to be a rather tall young man who was half a foot taller now than the oldest, slightly packed with muscles from vigorous training. Still, George had also gotten taller but his body shape remained more lithe, not that it made him any less dangerous than the blond who smirked down fearlessly at the fierce boy who had crossed his arms expectantly, the torch now burning out on the ground while the only light in the forest came from sparsely placed jack o lanterns along a beaten path of pressed down grass. 

“Hand over a lump of the iron, I’ll carry half of it for you.” Dream offered as he pushed his mask away, toothy grin and bright green eyes staring at the brunet who didn’t move to adjust his goggles as freckles danced across the slightly flushed skin. Still, his stern expression softened, the corners of his lips tilting up as he sighed in mock exasperation, tossing the younger a bag he kept on his shoulder that was filled with more precious materials than out to have ever reasonably fit. 

“That’s more like it.” He said, lips turning up further into a mischievous look as he stepped away, further down the path, a friendly playfulness to his steps. “Simp.” He threw the taunt down like a gauntlet, the challenge picked up by green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark as he breathed out slowly, a cold breeze sweeping through the dark spruce forest. 

“It’s on now.” Dream said, the last syllable not even being said as George snickered and turned to run, both making a breakneck run into the village, whooping freely through the dark forest that once held monsters, no longer afraid of such creatures after all the years. Not when they were together at least. George was still faster than the blond, if by a thin hair, weaving easily through the trees as Dream was right on his heels, adrenaline bursting through their veins until the soft village lights came into sight. “C’mere George!” He shouted, ignoring the distant shriek of a spider in favor of pressing his feet harder into the ground, forcing his momentum forward to try and make the last of the distance shorter as they barreled into a mostly empty village, the only lights being torches that burned at the outer cobble wall that surrounded the homes to keep monsters away. 

George reached out, touching the center wood post, his fletcher’s gloves bracing his palm from splintering wood as he used the item to turn around with another pivot, Dream reaching it a second later and meeting a cocky and smug grin from the brunet who yelled loudly, much to the village’s displeasure. 

Dream groaned, speeding past it and slowly slowing down as George turned around again with a gleeful sound that came from the back of his throat, finally pulling back his goggles to toss a triumphant look to the younger boy. “I beat you again.” He taunted, stepping over with a breathless voice as Dream snickered, leaning away from the brunet and wiping the sweat off his face with the back of black fingerless gloves that ran up towards his shoulder underneath his dark green hoodie that blended into the dark spruce leaves of their forest. 

“Shut up, you gave me the heavier pack didn’t you.” Red flushed across fair figures, George’s nose scrunching in denial before a word was said, making Dream laugh just as breathlessly, standing up straight from where he had braced his hands on his knees. “You are such a scammer, this win doesn’t count.” He said firmly as George opened his mouth to argue.

“You guys are so loud the whole village heard you guys from miles away.” A familiar voice called out from behind Dream, George’s expression souring playfully as the blond grinned and turned around. 

“Oh be quiet Sapnap, you’re louder than both of us.” Dream taunted as an arm wrapped around his neck heavily, despite the younger boy being 5 inches shorter, only slightly taller than George- not that the tanned raven ever let the eldest forget.

“Honestly Sapnap, you are so loud.” George joined in, huffing as the other’s hand rested over his shoulders as well, both being guided away from the town center where more than one of the residents had come out to grouse at them for being so reckless.  _ As if we don’t protect them from what comes around. _ Came twin thoughts of indignation, separated by the younger boy between them. 

“Yeah yeah, lets just go back and throw the iron in the furnace before we sleep, okay?” Sapnap said playfully, letting Dream go to prod at the older who complained back. The taller boy smiled gleefully at them, sparing a glance upward to the moon that had finally climbed into the sky, a thin sliver left off from a full moon while the leaves rustled from a cold breeze that ran over a flushed and fond expression watching the pair before him. Sapnap said something Dream couldn’t hear as George shrugged his pack and shield off to chase after the raven who took off to the largest home in the village, which was also the newest, a dusky blond on the porch watching with vague amusement while Dream picked the pack and shield up.

_ I never want these days to end. _ Dream thought, another cold breeze that almost felt foreboding swept across the clearing, taking steps towards the house as Punz yelled at them all to hurry up inside.  _ Ever. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave tips about writing or how you think I can improve. I'll try and update this weekly, altho next week's update will likely be late. I'ma push out 2 stories this week, one being a sequel for my 'George is a brat' series, the other a smut oneshot. Thanks for the support, hope this chapter was fun to read! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, following chapters will be longer. I am trying a slightly new/different writing style than I typically use for my smut works, so any feedback and advice as I work through this story would be fantastic, I love hearing how I could improve! <3
> 
> If anybody is confused about the ages for everybody in the chapter, Dream is 12, Sapnap is 11, George is 15 and Punz is 14. 
> 
> Thanks everybody for reading, I hope you guys enjoy this story and where it goes, I'm very excited for this project and working on something new!


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